Eating Disorders

Compulsive Overeating

Do you ‘eat to live’ or do you ‘live to eat’? For most people, it’s a little of both. Most of the time, eating is merely just a part of a routine that we do to get through the day in one piece. At other times, however, eating becomes a great source of enjoyment and pleasure; this happens when we eat at a gourmet restaurant or when we try that exquisite, new cuisine. It’s perfectly okay to love food – it is, after all, both a source of joy and a source of sustenance. It is, however, completely wrong when someone loves food to the point of obsession. At that point, ‘eating to live’ turns into ‘eating to die’.

Indeed, Food Addiction is a condition that can easily turn fatal if not curbed. And it is important to know exactly when love for food is normal and when it’s not.

What is Compulsive Overeating?

Compulsive Overeating is an eating disorder which is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to eat. This uncontrollable overeating is often called ‘binging’. It’s the same thing that people with Bulimia Nervosa do. But the difference with compulsive overeaters is that they do not feel the need to purge themselves of the food they have eaten, thereby resulting in intense weight gain.

During binge episodes, those who are afflicted usually continue to consume food despite the fact that they are already full. Moreover, although compulsive overeaters never feel the urge to purge themselves through vomiting or through laxative use, they are not exempt from the feelings of guilt and shame that are associated with losing control during binge episodes.

After they undergo a binge, they usually go on serious diets which they will most likely fail because of their attachment to food. This failure will then lead to greater disappointment and thus a greater need for comfort, which then leads to another binge episode.

Binging is not the only thing that characterizes this disorder, however. There is such a thing as ‘grazing’ behavior, which usually occurs when the person is not having a binging episode. While ‘grazing’, the person would commonly eat small portions of food continuously throughout the day. This results in an excessive intake of carbohydrates and even more weight gain.

When the weight gain is mostly through binging, however, a more specific term for the disorder is used, and that is ‘binge-eating disorder’.

However, unlike the other eating disorders – namely, Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa – the percentage of males who overeat are rather high. Compulsive overeating is commonly associated with obesity, as a lot of people who are obese become that way because of their binging habits. However, it should be noted that not all people who are obese have the compulsive overeating disorder.

What Causes Compulsive Overeating?

The onset of Compulsive Overeating starts at childhood, right when a person’s eating habits were being formed. It is said that when parents force their children to finish their meals even if they’re already full or when parents press their children to eat more than they can, the children are likely to overeat once they become adults. Similarly, parents who always use the inducement of food as a means of placating or rewarding their children may actually predispose their children to compulsive overeating.

The most common reason for binging, and therefore for compulsive overeating, is to facilitate coping. It’s some sort of defense mechanism for some people, a way of comforting themselves. Binging, therefore, is rather common during times of stress.

Some people also overeat because it is their means of protecting themselves. People who have a history of sexual abuse may think that becoming fat will make them less attractive and therefore less likely to be noticed by people and less likely to be subjected to the same abuse that they have experienced before.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Compulsive Overeating?

People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are usually overweight, sometimes even obese. Since they can’t control their eating habits, they usually end up weighing more than they should. They are typically unhealthy and thus become susceptible to other serious conditions like cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.

If the weight gain is severe enough, the person may also experience mobility problems. Some of those who are morbidly obese cannot move themselves without external aid. Arthritis, Sciatica, and Varicose Veins are also rather common in people with this disorder, mainly because all of these are exacerbated by excessive weight. Their sleeping patterns are usually disturbed and they also usually have high blood pressure. They often present with shortness of breath and very high cholesterol levels. They are also rather at risk for kidney diseases and are in danger of suffering from a stroke.

These people usually eat even if they don’t feel hungry. They spend much of their time fantasizing about food, although they mostly do this secretly. They eat rapidly and sometimes messily. They also prefer to eat alone because their eating habits make them feel ashamed; despite being overweight, people with Compulsive Overeating Disorder usually do not eat much when they are in public.

They’re usually preoccupied with their body weight but are often caught in a vicious cycle of weight gain and weight loss. They immediately regain whatever fat they have lost in a failed diet. They usually have a history of weight fluctuations and they are usually known to have tried and failed at several diets over the years.

People who have compulsive eating disorder may often seem depressed and may have frequent mood swings. They are not in denial about their disorder and are fully aware that their eating patterns are not normal. To cope with this, they would go on diets, but as earlier mentioned, they usually fail to follow through because they are addicted to food.

They also tend to withdraw from social situations because their weight makes them feel inadequate. They tend to have low self esteem and usually believe wholeheartedly that their problems will be fixed and that they will become better people if they can only become thinner. They center their whole lives on their weight, and often attribute all of their failures, both socially and academically, to their weight.